How Can We Possibly Prepare For Such An Event?

“What has come into being in him was life and the life was the light of all people…
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” 
John 1: 3, 5 & 9

 

Have you ever sat down and really pondered long and hard about what we are preparing for in Advent? Of course, there are the gifts to buy, food to prepare, decorations to adorn our homes and those amazing liturgies that we love. But why? Yes – Jesus was born a long time ago in an animal feeding trough in a barn to a very young couple. Oh yes – there was that amazing announcement made to Mary by the Angel Gabriel, telling her that she was going to have a son and her son would be the son of God. Now the event is getting so big that it could burst any seams that we have put around it. It gets bigger though. This life that was in him was and is the life of all people – that includes you and me! Thomas Merton exclaimed, “He is truly in me.” This amazing mystery of Christmas and Epiphany is a time that invites us all to take possession of what is already ours. This is a pretty big mystery. How can we possibly wrap ourselves around it? As I tell the children in Godly Play, this mystery is so huge that the church gives us 4 whole weeks to get ready to enter into it or to even come close to it. The evening that I began to prepare for the Advent 1 lesson, a settling came over me. I moved in the blink of an eye from a place of just getting a task done to one of being overwhelmed by the story that I was going to tell. This story is all that really matters. God is really in me, in you, in all of us. Can you begin to imagine what the world would be like if we all awakened to this truth? The lion would truly lie down with the lamb. So how can we possibly prepare for this? Maybe there is a hidden gift in this pandemic. So many of the things that I have traditionally done cannot be done – I did not have to do the work of letting go – it has been done for me. I have a little more time. Why don’t we spend time just in wonder at what this amazing mystery is that we are getting ready for in Advent? My prayer is that none of us will walk right through the mystery and not really glimpse it at all. May we experience how this little child has changed everything. I look forward to shared conversations about this with you.

Zechariah 8:9-17

“Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.” Zechariah 8:13

It was eight years ago that I was with my priest in my car. We pulled into the back parking lot of the church from lunch where we explored what God was doing in my life. I remember sharing some things about loss of interest in some things that used to fill my life and instead spending a lot of time praying. We sat in quiet, some, as others filled in other spaces in the lot. She brought up the priesthood. “I think you’re a priest, she said.” I shriveled in my seat. I think it was as much about the bluntness as it was the content. She explained a beautiful metaphor relating a call to be a priest to having a baby. “You have two choices, Laura. You can accept it and let it happen or you can moan and wail and worry. Either way, the baby is coming. Think about it.”

I did think about it but also did a lot more of that letting go and praying. I'll bet to someone looking at me from the outside, it looked like a lot of sitting around. To me, this little snapshot illustrates the value of discernment in community, the power of human fear, and even aspects of leadership. Today, though, I see truth as the theme. It is the same sort of truth, or "meet" in Hebrew, that this passage in Zechariah references. “Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgements that are true…”(v. 16) This was the truth she saw in me.

All over the Old Testament, the idea of “truth” refers to an experiential reality instead of a reasoned fact. God desires “truth in the inward being.” God judges according to emet, a part of righteousness and peace.

It was a miracle that day that I could hear the truth. It was something hidden even to me, but still in existence. Still visible or felt in the quiet times and somehow conveyed to my mentor. The day before my ordination, I presented her with a Byzantine icon of the Annunciation- Mary and Elizabeth as they sat in disbelief in what God had done. The baby was coming.

In this time of waiting, of perhaps discernment of your own in some way, may your eyes and heart be opened to truth, and may you not be afraid, for the baby is coming.
 

God of Truth, You are the truth of our being. Help me today to experience all that you are, and to do it without fear. Amen.

 

The Reverend Laura Masterson

Gratitude and Hope

Written by Kathleen Balling, Music Assistant

This week is Thanksgiving. A time to be thankful for all of God’s gifts, whatever they are: health, family, faith, friends, or the beauty of the earth. It can be a challenge to feel thankful amid the upswing of COVID-19 infection in our community.

The word 'gratitude' is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness (depending on the context). In some ways, gratitude encompasses all of these meanings. Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. People feel and express gratitude in multiple ways. They can apply it to the past, present or future. Right now, I think it is important to do all of these, but especially the future. You can express gratitude for the future by maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude.

Which brings me to the word “Hope”….

If you ask my family, Hope is one of my favorite words and feelings. On our farm, my tractor is a Farmall H. I call it the Hope tractor. I am a glass half full person (most of the time!).

I am hopeful about the season of Advent, which starts this Sunday. It is the promise of the coming of the Christ Child. In a normal year, the Cathedral Choir would be in final preparation for the annual Messiah performance. Handel’s Messiah tells the whole story of Christ: Part one foretelling the birth of Christ, Part two the Passion of Christ and Part three the Resurrection of Christ. Though we present it as a concert, to numerous people, this is a worship-filled service. It moves, nourishes, and inspires hope when they hear the soloists and Cathedral Choir, accompanied by orchestra, sing the words of this masterwork. All the words are taken from the Bible- the ultimate masterwork! You will still get to hear our Cathedral Choirs sing Messiah. We will present an encore online performance on Friday, December 4, at 7:30pm. We hope you will join us. We are grateful for all our families in the music ministry, as they continue to adapt and change to what “choir” looks like in this season.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving and Hopeful Advent.

 

Hope in the Season

 It's after Halloween.....you know what that means....CHRISTMAS!  (just kidding) But in all seriousness, if you've been to any store recently you've noticed it.  Aisles and Aisles of Christmas decorations, candy, trees, and gifts.  If you know me at all, you know that I love Christmas!  I would decorate my house on November 1st if my husband would let me.  I love all things red and green, silver and blue, gold and white.  I love the gatherings and the gifts and the joy.  Which is why this year already feels so different.

What will the last two months of 2020 bring us?  There's no denying its been a strange, difficult, lonely, weird year for most of us.  And with no end to this pandemic in sight, it seems the Christmas season will be just as strange.  It will be quieter, less busy, less hustle and bustle, less shopping, less 'all the things that make the season bright'.  Except Christmas isn't cancelled because of the pandemic.

I know all this talk of Christmas seems premature when its only a few days into November but I think its timely to consider.  Family and friends probably won't gather for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, for office parties and gift exchanges. There may not be visits to Santa at the mall. There may not be Christmas Eve Mass. Christmas may look different.

Jesus entered this world when life was strange.  People all over the Empire were traveling for the census. Hotels were full.  Journeys were tough.  And yet, the Savior of the world chose then to come.  A glimmer of Hope is a crazy hectic time.  The long-awaited son of God was born into a messy time.  Not unlike now.  I don't think its any coincidence that God chose then to send Jesus.  It is often in the midst of crazy that our greatest joys are found.  Remember that as we enter this crazy, hectic time. 

But friends, Christmas isn't cancelled.  We will adapt, change and grow. Instead of Christmas cards, send letters.  Reach out to those you would normally see in person by phone or video chat.  Make a donation to a local charity instead of buying gifts that will sit unopened. Make it a point to spread joy in small ways however you can. Because, even without gatherings and gifts and in person church services, Hope is still alive.  Don't forget to share that with those around you! 

God In The Desert

Abram and Sarai leave Ur - Godly Play

Most of us, before getting too old have experiences that we could call “desert times.” We can’t get too far in life without them. They are never things that we go seeking but they happen. Like Abram and Sarai, when they left the city of Ur, we may wonder if God will be with us in times such as this. The Great Family in which Abram and Sarai were a part, were called to leave the place they had come to find solace. I imagine they had comfortable routines. They knew where to shop, worship, and had good times with friends. Why did they have to leave this secure place? In faith, they put one foot in front of the other and set out into the desert – a place where no one goes unless they have to. Sound familiar at all to you? This past March, you and I had no choice other than to step out into the desert of the pandemic. Will God be with us we may have wondered. After a few months – we may cry, “will this ever be over?” It was a very long journey for the Great Family. They thought it would never end. They began to be surprised by God however in places that they would never have dreamed of. They built altars in various locations so they would never forget that God was there. They continued to say their prayers and God would come close to them and they would come close to God. They began to hear promises from God that were too impossible to believe (have a child in old age!) God had told Abram that he would bless him and Sarai and that they would be a blessing to many. They kept going without seeing how this could happen. Because of their faithfulness, God changed their names to Abraham and Sarah. Through this incredibly difficult time they had changed. They had come closer into being the people of God. How are you being changed as you move through these desert times? I know that I have had experiences that would not have happened had I not been thrown into this time. I miss people, I get tired of the mask and distancing but I keep on. As one who has not been to technically inclined, I am finding deeper relationships through zoom. After close to 8 months – it feels like we really are together. My prayer life has deepened. I have found it easy to give up distractions. I don’t need stuff anymore. We left our “normal” ways of being community mid-March. How are you doing? How are you being changed to come closer to who God created you to be? I wonder what our new names will be when we come out after faithfully walking in this pandemic desert together? I wonder how we are being blessed and how we will be a blessing to many?

Love One Another

Beloved,

This has been a challenging season for many. Not only are we grappling with an unexpected virus but we’re facing one of the most divisive political elections in recent memory. To many Americans, regardless of political persuasion, it feels like the very heart of our democracy is at stake.

In times like these it is easy to give into cynicism and despair. It is easy to lose hope for the coming of God’s Kingdom in our world. And yet, these are the precise moments that end up being the precipice for God’s showing up, in unexpected ways, in unexpected places.

The movement of the Holy Spirit is unpredictable. As Jesus says in John’s Gospel, the Spirit “blows where it wills” (John 3:8). There is often no rhyme or reason for how God shows up, at least from our perspective. It can seem random.

Yet I have seen the Spirit reveal itself consistently over the past few months. The way you all have dug in deep together, transitioned into new ways of being in community, and have continued to put your faith into practice has astounded me. I am continually encouraged by your faithfulness, not only to God, but to each other in this new season of being the Church.

If there is anything I think our world yearns for right now, it’s a community of people who come together across boundary lines to embody a different way of being human. This way isn’t rooted in division or violence but is rooted in radical love and self-offering. That’s the spirit I’ve been experiencing in our community, and I’m honestly humbled by it.

I wanted to take a moment to thank you, and also to encourage you to continue living into our practice of being in community together. The next couple of months are going to be challenging, for many reasons. It’s important that we continue to love one another, continue to care for each other, and continue to bear witness to God’s Kingdom in thought, word, and deed.

For me, what this is means is that I have to continually seek Christ in all things, honoring that of God within others and God within myself. That’s our baptismal call and its one which anchors us in seasons like these. 

I am so grateful for each and every one of you, and am so glad that we are on this journey together. You give me hope, when it sometimes feels like hope is in short supply.

I want to lift up the following words for us as we continue to live into who we’re called to be. These words came during a particularly challenging time in Jesus life, when he and his community were on the precipice of significant change. These have often been called Jesus’ “final instructions” to his disciples, since they came relatively close to the end of his earthly ministry. 

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.” – John 15:12-17 NRSV.

Friends, let us continue to love one another as we bear fruit for God’s Kingdom.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Will

Hope and the Holy Spirit

Written by Erich Balling, Canon Musician

Pentecost is one of the most miraculous stories in scripture. Imagine being a follower of Jesus and receiving the gift of language to teach and preach the gospel. And consider the incredibly dramatic way the story unfolded!

In staff meeting today, we took an inventory of the work we've accomplished thus far during the pandemic. We looked at the beginning of pandemic, decisions we made, pivots to a new way of life and work. Some of these seemed to happen in a moment, others took time to root and grow. As the discussion continued, it became overwhelmingly evident that the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit was in the middle of all our work. I think the key to that realization was our united belief in the hope God gave us to begin. One small spark to say "yes" instead of "I can't" gave each of us the confidence we needed to move forward and to persevere.

I have a friend who reminds me that hope is essential to our faith journeys. I believe that God knows the deepest hopes of our hearts. God helps clear the fog of our doubts and enables us to show the Gospel in a world that needs this message of hope.

May God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, enable us to do the work we are given. May we always remain hopeful and confident in the Love of God. And may we continue to build God's kingdom on earth.

Hope

Written by Kathleen Balling, Music Assistant

Faith, Hope and Love and the greatest of these is Love...
Love is the greatest of these, but in these unprecedented times, I think Hope is what people are looking for and need.

If you didn't watch the 10 am service on Sunday October 11, you missed our youngest singers, the Cathedral Imps! These young singers, ages 4-8, offer a glimpse of hope for the future in their faces and voices. Since March, Imps have met weekly via Zoom.

Speaking from a personal standpoint, seeing their bright faces early Saturday morning made my week. They love to sing, tell me their stories, greet each other and just show the pure joy of the open hearted children they are.

They are resilient, they are funny, they look forward to the next thing, whatever it is!  We all need that childhood simplicity and child-like hope that tomorrow will be better than today. We need to let our adult worries go and give them to God. We need to relearn to be expectant in the hope for tomorrow and trust in God. Take the time to look with in yourself and find that hopeful, expectant child. Look for the joy in simple things: a bird singing, a rainbow, fall colors of the leaves, or ....pure children's voices raised in song.

Hope is the light within us. Keep it burning bright. I witness Hope every time the Imps sing. Here is the link for the Imps Introit "Feed my Lambs."

https://youtu.be/MIIHDae3zFc

Space For Wonder By Nell Campbell

This past Sunday morning, after I shared the story of Creation with our 4th & 5th graders, a student asked if I thought God sat up late and made a plan for the next day, and the next, each evening preceding every day of creation. I sat for a moment as the inquirer went on, wondering aloud what that would be like for God with no one to talk to or make plans with. The immensity of that aloneness overwhelmed me for a moment, and I couldn’t think straight. 

 Luckily for me, in Godly Play we are not called to have firm answers. We are content to wonder about the mystery that we observe. And so, we did, we wondered about the time before everything when God was just God alone, before Creation. And about making plans. It has been my few day’s reflection. 

 This happens almost every time I get to be the storyteller in Godly Play. I’m given the gift of hearing a young wonderer’s mind frame a point of view spectacularly different from my own. What about those godly plans? I certainly plan. I probably make more plans than I need and have since high school. I’ve always thought planning work helps me wrestle with the idea, or task, that I’m getting ready to take on. I have lists, outlines, color coded calendars of various styles for different parts of my life, short term projects and long term goals. And just before St. Patrick’s Day this spring I, like most all of us on the planet, had to start unplanning. 

I hated making all those changes, to cancel so many things I was excited to do, see, and learn. I’ll probably be able to reschedule a lot of them for future months and years, but I was surprised by how this upended the way I’ve thought about life for the past 30 years. And sitting without any plans for most of this year has made me feel like the year is going to waste. This grief was churned up on Sunday wondering about how God might consider all this planning I had surround myself with. I have been wondering if I’m using my plans as shields against the stillness that would mean I have to actually engage with my soul and God without the backdrop of busyness. And then this morning I stumbled upon these few lines from T.S. Eliot’s Little Gidding: 

    We shall not cease from exploration
    And the end of all our exploring
    Will be to arrive where we started
    And know the place for the first time.
    Through the unknown, unremembered gate
    When the last of earth left to discover
    Is that which was the beginning;
    At the source of the longest river
    The voice of the hidden waterfall
    And the children in the apple-tree

Alright, I get it now. Pay attention to the questions children ask. They may be asking the questions we grown ups should be asking, too.

Finding Your Sabbath

"Today is a day of rest."

"Rest? We haven't done anything."

"Exactly. I've done everything. You now rest in what I've done."

If you know anything about the Enneagram, it should be glaringly obvious I am a strong Type 1, the reformer (or perfectionist...) I'm organized, responsible, orderly, and sensible, just to name a few of my more positive qualities. But for each of those more flattering attributes, I can easily give way to criticism, obsessive perfectionism, and an inability to rest.

Rest has never come easily. I will always find something that needs to be done. Even in a rare quiet moment when I'm alone in the house, I will clean the bathroom, fold laundry, work on bills, etc. Sitting, reading, watching TV, all give me a sense of unease, like I have left something undone. Even on the days I claim as my day off, I fill with appointments or some other task.

In the busy seasons of life, I power through to accomplish that which is asked of me. In the past two weeks I have helped my 8th grader get setup for virtual learning, sent my 3.5 year old to preschool, cared for my 20 month old, helped my husband get settled into his new job, found new insurance and doctors for our family, and kicked off online groups at the Cathedral. In the wake of meeting the needs of others, I forgot something very important. Me. My needs. My rest.

It's so interesting that when I am too busy to listen, God finds an abrupt way to make me pay attention. Last weekend I had no internet in my house for three days, and the Cathedral email server was down. On Saturday I woke up incredibly sick and stayed in bed all day. On Sunday, the Cathedral network crashed. I could keep going. I had neglected my Sabbath the past few weeks while meeting the needs of others. God was reminding me that the Sabbath wasn't a novel idea. It was something he commands. And the need for rest isn't just for my physical needs. It's to look deeply and rest in all that God has created and what he has done. 

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29

I am weary, and I carry burdens I shouldn't. My soul needs needs a Sabbath. So today, ironically Labor Day, I claim for rest. As soon as I'm done writing this, of course. ;)

Renewing Your Mind

How often have we let our thoughts rule our lives? How often do we let those voices inside our head tease us, pick at us, or scream at us? How often do we just give in to those thoughts? 

I have had my moments in my life when I let the defeat and doubt rule my thoughts. It is not fun. Once I come out of it and on the other side of my inferior thoughts, I wish I hadn't gone down the rabbit hole. I realize that God doesn't want us to waste our life in these thoughts. Thoughts that aren't true to begin with in the first place! He wants the best for us, especially in our mind. 

In Paul's letter to the Romans, he writes in chapter 12, verse 2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." The words that stand out to me in this verse are transformed by the renewing of your mind. 

To be transformed means to become something new, to be changed. Renew means to make like new, to restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection. So how does this apply to your mind? If we renew (restore or make new) our thinking or mind, we will be transformed. We will become someone new. 

In Philippians 4:8, Paul tells us on what to think about: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." When we think on these things, we have peace. (Phil. 4:9b) 

When you find yourself starting to give in to your thoughts of defeat, despair, doubt, disbelief or darkness, reach out to God. Choose to tell him your thoughts. Share with him your doubts and feelings. He won't turn you away. Ask for his help in changing what you think about. Life is hard and can throw us curveballs. God knows that. But don't let the curveballs defeat you! God only wants the best for us, to know his will for our lives. Let him renew your mind, so that your life can be lived to the fullest. 

 Remember

Eighteen years ago, I was a fourth grade teacher in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. I had just announced to my class that I was going to have a baby in December. As nine and ten year olds go, there was some excitement from mostly the girls, but all had questions. Announcing big events in your personal life as a teacher is both important to do at times and should also be done with sensitivity. A teacher’s hope is that business as usual is assumed as soon as possible for maximum learning, no matter the news.

A few days had passed since the big announcement and one of my students approached me as I sat at my computer before the start of school. He presented me with an ornate box to open. “It’s for your baby. It will bring him good luck and health.” Opening the box revealed a beautiful etched glass covered bowl with 100 cranes and other folded animals inside. I took it home and proudly placed it on the dresser in our not-yet-finished nursery.

Since that day, the cranes have traveled with Zach to each new house in which we have lived. Occasionally, I will pull out a few and tell the story to him again. We usually sit there and look at them and tell stories. Sometimes we ask each other questions as we look. Just this week we unpacked the bowl again. “Do you still want this?” I asked. We again took out the brightly colored folded paper and remarked at what a kind gesture it was for that family to gift this to Zach. I realized, finally, then that the gift was actually for me, and that my student Albert had no idea what he had set up for years, eighteen of them so far, down the road. You see, sitting on a teenager's bed talking about moving, and what “luck” or “prosperity” means is without any question a gift. Over and over now, Albert gave us the chance to be quiet and to do it together, sifting through paper and memories.

Remembering what God has done in my life seems easier when I have quiet and a means of looking back. It doesn’t have to be paper cranes. It could be recipes, photos, quilts, old shoes, or little snapshots stuck in your mind with no place to go. I think that this is an important thing to do right now. Remember, even in the recounting of not so joyous times. In this extra time at home, with more time to be silent or back-looking than before, we may do well to lean into that. It may bring some extra hope. We have been down many roads but we have continued to live in faith and hope. Extending a gift to someone you care about to bolster that “remembering” attitude may last years upon years.  It did for me.   

The Rev. Laura Masterson

Welcoming Every Moment

"The duties of each moment are the shadows beneath which hides the divine operation." 

Jean-Pierre De Caussade 

 

Many of our lives have become a bit more ordinary in these past few months. I don't know about you but for me - many of the moments have been hard to welcome and even imagine that God is working in them. After the initial shock of the COVID disruption, I realized I was cleaning more, cooking more, and maybe if I would let myself - just sitting and soaking in a moment or two. My own soul has been unwinding a little. I am understanding at a deeper level what the above quote means. I don't have my usual go to distractions. A practice called the Welcoming Prayer has helped much when the moment is particularly uncomfortable. It is a practice of letting go into the present. When I am bored, anxious, angry, or afraid my knee jerk reaction is to get away from these feelings and corresponding body sensations. If my desire is to be close to God however, I need to breathe and stay present.

 

WELCOMING PRAYER AS DEVELOPED THROUGH CONTEMPLATIVE OUTREACH 

At any particular moment when you feel "triggered" by an outer event, there will be a corresponding bodily sensation associated with it. Maybe it is a tightening in your chest or butterflies in your stomach. The fight or flight instinct will take over. You will often do whatever it takes to get rid of that feeling. Instead of doing that try the following steps: 1) Feel and sink into whatever you are experiencing in your body. Do not resist it - just experience the energy. Scan your body for any uneasiness - just follow it. All experiences are carried in every cell of your body. 2) "Welcome" is the sacred word, the symbol of our consent to the presence and action of the Indwelling Spirit. What you welcome is not the anxiety or whatever feeling you may have but you are welcoming God's activity in it. Instead of running from the feeling, you will breath and sink into it. 3) After we welcome whatever is going on you say the "Letting Go" phrase. "I let go of my desire for security, affection, control and embrace the moment as it is." When we let go, we pass through whatever we are feeling instead of running from it. Some call this prayer a healthy pause. I invite you to try this practice. If you would like to explore it more with me I would certainly welcome that. I am finding that it is a transformational practice of praying while on the go. God's peace to all as we grow together in this new year.

Eyes Are Windows

Eyes Are Windows

Okay, Zoomers, do you look into the camera on your computer so that the other participants are seeing you as if you are looking directly at them or do you look at their image on your computer?

    

     I’ll be honest; I like it when people look directly into the camera. It looks like they are looking right into my own eyes. I want to do that for people, too. Yet, I feel this pull to just gaze at their face on my screen instead. 

“Eyes are windows to the soul” is a Shakespearean sentiment, and I heartily agree. Zoom (or another platform like it) is the next best thing to seeing each other right now. We are programmed for face to face interaction. I almost weep when I see those videos of children hugging each other for the first time since March. But still, there is something unusual happening on this virtual platform when we look into each others eyes. “I’m afraid I won’t see my mom for a year.” “I never realized you were such an artist.” “I have finally seriously opened the Bible for the first time in my adult life.” These are the raw, honest comments that I have heard and been witness to over the fiber optic wires of the internet since we have had to be apart.

Could it possibly be that we are becoming more vulnerable in this time apart? Is this welcomed blessing a result of us not seeing each other face to face? I don’t think so. I want to propose that we now have the opportunity to look into each other’s eyes (or the camera) instead of talking while fiddling with groceries, typing, or getting dressed. You have my full attention and I have yours. Yes, we are without body language and the communication nuances that are utilized in the flesh, but I do wonder if our decreased distractions have unearthed our truths. We can finally see into each other’s souls. 

Christianity finds its identity in a person. Undoubtedly, that person is firstly in Jesus, the Christ. Jesus shows us God’s heart. I can see this revelation more clearly in us, too when we put down our guard and attend to these matters of the heart. We are also carriers of the same God, who is love. Many would say that the Christian identifier is seen only in our action. A pandemic has slowed our outward action, but perhaps mobilized the prime act of love. We are showing each other the heart of God (1 John 4). God is the most present, least judgmental listener of all. And suddenly, I am finding those characteristics in those I share with on Zoom. This is most encouraging. Emanuel.

So, it’s no matter, really, where you look when you’re on Zoom. It’s what we’re saying, fully attentive to each other’s heart. Let’s promise to keep this practice when we can see each other again. I promise to put my groceries down and look into your eyes.

In Exile

For the last three and a half months I have turned often to the story of the exile. The Babylonians came and took Jerusalem - burning the walls to the city and the temple down. Many of the people were taken from their beloved home and place of worship, leaving most of their belongings behind. The journey was long and hard. They were exhausted on entering into Babylon. They would face Jerusalem when they said their prayers. The familiar prayers, songs and one another helped to keep them grounded. All of the other usual touchstones were gone. Maybe the virus can be compared to this siege on some level. So much of our familiar way of life and trappings have been burned down. Where is God in this foreign place? It is almost like a giant heavy chain is blocking us from returning to the way things were. Bernie and I have been cleaning out old boxes, closets, nooks and crannies. We have tossed and given away many books, clothes and kitchen ware. We have also found treasures that we had long forgotten or had not even known they were there. While our outer world is cleansing, a simultaneous inner world cleanse is going on. There are a lot more openings in the day to reflect and awaken to God's presence. The Black Lives Matter movement has also turned our focus inward. I know that I am privileged by the mere fact of being white. What habits and unconscious beliefs need to awaken and die in me? This period of exile has been a deep searching of my soul. How must I die in order to live God's call to solidarity with all of my brothers and sisters? We are always called to change and grow. We must ask for courage. Like the exiles of old - I am realizing that god is in this new place too as I learn different ways. We will go back but it will not be the same. We will rebuild our lives together in new ways. I am humbled and honored to be on this journey with all of you.

Finding Sacred Space: A Different Kind of Eucharist

A couple of weeks ago, Caitlin and I took a ride up Old Frankfort Pike. I had just bought a new maxi scooter (like a motorcycle but with an automatic transmission) and we wanted to test it out. As we wove through horse country, we ended up turning on 1659 so we could ride along the Kentucky River. The speed limit dropped as we entered the tree line, and it wasn’t long before the air got cooler. As we rode out into open space, we noticed another car slowing down to take the view in. For a moment, it was like we had both been absorbed into the fields.

Throughout this season, I’ve been continually amazed by the moments of transcendence I’ve encountered, despite life otherwise feeling cramped by social distancing and quarantine. Even though this season has brought constraints with it, there are still spaces where I’ve been able to get outside of myself and experience God. More often than not, those spaces have been outdoors.

In the past few weeks, I’ve fallen more in love with the Bluegrass. I’ve ridden through hills and valleys, over bridges, and along creeks and rivers. I’ve discovered roads likes Grimes Mill Rd, Falcon Wood Way, and Pisgah Pike that have connected me more deeply with the region around me. I’ve seen churches, mills, distilleries, and barns that have stood the test of time, and have served as landmarks of Fayette, Scott, and Woodford counties.

It’s as if the entire Bluegrass region has become my sanctuary, and my motor scooter has become the altar on which I celebrate communion.

I wonder where those spaces are in your life where God is inviting you to a different kind of Eucharist. Maybe it’s a drive through the country. Maybe it’s a scenic overlook by a canyon. Maybe it’s a spot in your back yard where it’ easy for you to be still.

Maybe it’s not outside at all. Maybe it’s a book that connects you to God. Maybe it’s a spot in your house that draws you deeper into sacred space.

It’s easy and perfectly understandable to see this season as a limitation. But what if we saw it as an opportunity? What if it’s an opportunity to find new sacred space, not as a replacement for the physical Cathedral, but as an extension of it?

Our world is pregnant with the Spirit of God. All we have to do is step out into it to experience a different kind of Eucharist.

The Rev. Will Berry

Be a Bridge-Builder

The distress of our country's current climate has awoken something in me, something I wasn't aware I had - a voice, a call, and a duty.

To say I was uneducated about most things involving race would be an understatement. My limited knowledge came only from whitewashed textbooks in school, mainstream movies and music, and the small number of people of color I had in my town. I didn't feel I had the right to a voice to speak on racial reconciliation. 

Because I felt unable to speak on that which I did not understand, I felt the call to stand up fell to someone else. There had to be someone more educated than myself, someone in a more prominent place in society to do something about the atrocities I was continuing to watch and read. I didn't feel called to stand with people of color.

Then I realized what was really in the way - me. My comfortable, simple life. While this life felt hard to me most days, it really was a privilege to be me. I wasn't judged for the color of my skin; I wasn't harassed because of my race; I wasn't going to be killed because someone felt threatened by me. 

This realization awoke a thirst for knowledge in me. I still do not speak about what I do not understand, but I now educate myself. I am called to come alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ. It is my duty to be a part of the solution, now matter how small that step may be. I pray for opportunities to connect with people of color, and I repent of my role, past and present, in what we are experiencing today.

A Prayer of Confession

God, I have been blind to the plight of my fellow image bearers. I have been deaf to their cries for justice and for mercy. I have been mute when there was no one to speak for them. Lord God, unbind my mouth. Place your healing over my eyes that I might see, and unblock my ears that I might hear. I lay my sins at your feet that you might cleanse me, heal me, and send me to do your holy work of reconciliation with my brothers and sisters.

-Corregan Brown 

(Found in the Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison)

I offer you the same steps I'm taking myself. I hope these are helpful. I pray we can all be bridge-builders.

***

Ten Things Every Racial Bridge-Builder Should Know

by Latasha Morrison, Founder of Be the Bridge

1. Become a student, and educate yourself on the issues.

• Read from various authors on the issues of race and reconciliation.
• Learn from others who don’t look like you.
• Don’t expect others to do the work for you.
• Understand racism from a sys­temic structure. Ask questions if you don’t understand the systems.

2. Pray for opportunities.

• Don’t expect opportunities to only come to you.
• Step out of your comfort zone to find opportunities. Be brave.
• Look for opportunities in your day-to-day life.
• Think outside the box.

3. Research those you can learn from, and follow them on social media.

• Diversify whom you follow on your social media platforms.

4. Surround yourself with diversity.

• Visit churches, gym classes, restau­rants, playgrounds and grocery stores.
• Try out new types of media like magazines, TV shows and movies.
• Add more diverse events to your calendar such as concerts, plays, community and civic events.

5. Listen.

• One of the most difficult things for many people is to listen to others who don’t think like themselves.
• Don’t get caught up in pride and being right; practice humility.
• Don’t let political views drive you.
• Practice good listening skills – listen without speaking at times, ask questions for what you don’t understand.

6. Learn from minorities.

• Sadly, not many are willing to learn from minorities. Our experi­ences are all different, but all valid in the conversation.
• Remember minorities are the experts in their experiences and history.
• Try to see the world from a dis­similar perspective.

7. Notice and take responsibility for negative stereotypes you hold.

• Pay attention to how media per­petuates stereotypes.
• Be honest with yourself. Pray against the stereotypes, confess and repent of your own sins.

8. Acknowledge truth.

• We must own our history as a country despite how horrific or how shameful it may be. We must lament it, confess it and repent of it so healing may begin.
• Stop defending injustice.
• Just because you’ve never experi­enced racism personally doesn’t mean that someone else hasn’t.
• Acknowledge any privileges you may have, and use them for good. Give your power to lift others up.

9. Stand as an ally for the marginalized.

• Hold those around you account­able for what they say.
• Bridge building needs collective and active participation. The problem will not solve itself.

10. Model reconciliation in your own relationships.

• These issues are not for the gov­ernment to solve. The government can play a role, but the Church must embrace the process toward reconciliation.
• We can’t take others where we are not willing to go ourselves. Lead by example.

Published by MOPS International. Original article can be found HERE.

Keeping Faith

Written by Maggie Ferguson, Cathedral Girls Choir

I feel like so many of us are always searching for the right way to follow God. The one true way that will show God, those around us, and ourselves that we are truly in through it all, in sickness and in health. But something that I have come to understand more during the past year, and especially during the past few months, is the great flexibility of faith.

Faith is always changing and shifting and molding. I need my faith when I am struggling with something in my life. I need my faith when I am too stressed out to accomplish anything. I need my faith when I am deep within a storm that makes me think I may never see the sun again. That doesn’t mean that I don’t need my faith when everything is smooth sailing. That doesn’t mean that I don’t need my faith when everything seems to be falling right into place. I need my faith at all times because I need my God at all times. It just looks different.

One day during the height of the pandemic lockdown, I went for a walk in less than ideal weather. I’m still not sure what compelled me to leave the warmth and dryness of my home and drag myself and my dog out into the pouring rain and growing storm, but I am so glad I did. As I was walking and getting more and more soaked, my mind kept coming back to a song called “Praise You In This Storm” by Casting Crowns; a song about staying faithful to God during difficult times. For those of you who know me, you may know that my faith is irrevocably linked to music, so this song being placed on my heart was impactful. I then just started talking, out loud and to God. I prayed aloud for an hour, for everyone and everything I could think of. I prayed because I had to. I prayed because it was all that I could do and I felt lifted higher and closer to God than I had felt in a long time. I prayed during the peak of my school-related stress, and for an hour during a storm, I was at peace. My faith delivered. It may be more desperate in rough times, and it may be more grateful in smooth times, but no expression of faith denotes that I need my God any more or less.

I know God because there has been no other option that can compare to His love time and time again, but my faith still changes. The faith that I possessed when I was in middle school is much different than the faith I possess now in high school. It has to be; I am different now than I was then. I have learned that you can’t grow out of faith because you can’t grow out of God. We crave knowing God at all ages and stages of life.

By being faithful, we grow into God. When you grow into God, you spread God into the people and the world around you. This is one of my favorite aspects of the Church and of Jesus. In striving to be like Christ, we are compelled to teach, love, welcome, and accept others. Our need to share our abundance with the rest of the world stretches all boundaries of life because God’s love is universal. Simply as a consequence of God’s love to us and our faith to Him, the people around us are gifted with a deeper love than can otherwise be experienced. It is a privilege to keep learning that more and more everyday.

Glory of Flowers

An artist friend was excited to take photographs of our goat herd because she wanted to capture the goat’s rectangular pupils. We had raised goats for years and I never noticed this fascinating fact (it i believed that the rectangular pupil shape allows the grazing goat to see danger over the horizon.)

Artists act as our guides through nature and life by helping us appreciate the world around us. For example, the current Glory of Flowers exhibit at Christ Church Cathedral contains 100 paintings and photographs of flowers. The flowers are every color of the rainbow, some abstract and other capture incredible detail showing the individual petals and yellow stamen. Hopefully, you will soon be able to see this exhibit in person. See the virtual Gallery Hop below, or visit www.ccclex.org/art.

Like most of you, our family has isolated ourselves from people but not from the natural world. Was this spring more beautiful than others? Or perhaps we were less busy and noticed the season emerge. Did your inner artist allow you to pause and really look at the many colors of green in the trees, grass, bushes, and flowers? These quiet moments of reflection bring us peace and gratitude for creation.

Maybe art is actually medicine for our souls. You might be drawing a picture, gazing at a flower or the blue summer skies. The simple act of contemplation stills our fears. For this moment, can we step aside from our judgment about whether a dandelion is a weed and simply pay attention to the brilliant yellow. A daily prayer: “Lord, slow me down and rest my spirit, so that I may appreciate all of your blessings.”

Today, even in the midst of protests and disease, take some time to pause and reflect on the beauty around you. May you find peace and hope.


Lynne Slone
Art at the Cathedral Committee Member

The Holy Spirit

Whenever we baptize a new person into our community, we like to share the Godly Play story on baptism with the family at a rehearsal.  If you haven't had a chance to hear the story, you should!  It's a tangible reminder of the family of Christ that we belong to.

In the story, the storyteller talks about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove, that comes down to us when we need help. It goes where it will and where it is needed.  What I love about this is that the bird is a great reminder that the Holy Spirit doesn't have boundaries.  It isn't stuck on the ground but can reach each and every one of us when we need it.

As we head toward Pentecost and the birthday of our church, what a great reminder that we are not alone.  Whether we need grace, patience, hope or joy; the Holy Spirit is ready and able to provide it to you.  This time of quarantine has been challenging on so many levels. Whether you're alone, surrounded by your children, working from home, or laid off, I hope this weekend will be a reminder that the Holy Spirit is part of each and every one of us.

Connecting to people has taken on a whole new level for me and especially in ministry.  Its become increasingly important for me to reach out to people when I need to instead of trying to figure life out alone.  Even though I'm not able to connect in person with my church family, I can still call, write or email people to support, encourage, and love me.

I challenge you this week to find places that the Holy Spirit has visited you.  Connect with a friend.  Join our car parade to celebrate our church and who God is for us!

Peace,

Rachel

Stop Looking Back

During the last 6 weeks I have been exploring with children through Godly Play some of the many ways those first disciples came to know Jesus in new ways after his resurrection. Imagine with me that we had shared so many wonderful experiences with Jesus. We had learned so much from him. We would follow him anywhere. Then the unthinkable happened and Jesus was crucified. Our whole world turned upside down and nothing was as we had known it. Then many of us, even though grieving were surprised by his presence. It was different from when he was with us before but we knew it was him. After a while we came to expect these experiences. Then one day about 5 weeks after his death, we heard him say that we were to go into all of the world to make disciples. What?! This is huge – impossible! Before he left he assured us that he would be with us always and he was gone. About a week or so later Jesus appeared to us again and led us outside the walls of Jerusalem. He looked at each of us and blessed us and then he withdrew in a cloud. Where did he go? We kept looking up until we heard a couple of voices ask us what we were looking at. Feeling foolish we looked over to see two men dressed in white. Those angels answered their own question: “Jesus is gone now as you have known him.” In this moment everything changed A burden was lifted. I have always struggled with why that was good news to them. Jesus was gone as they had known him! As I told this story to the children last week, the message was made clear for my life as we have all been living through a pandemic. Life as we knew it was gone in a day and everything has been turned upside down. For weeks I have grieved the way things were, hoping to just wake up from this bad dream. I want to see all of you tomorrow but that is not happening. I heard for myself those words that the angels spoke to the first disciples. It was like being told that it was time to begin to look at the new things that God is doing and stop thinking about the way things were. It does not mean that we will never be back but this seems to be a time in our lives like that which the disciples had experienced, full of unknowns that require much patience and prayer. It was only after the disciples received the angels’ news that they were able to go back to Jerusalem, call a disciple to replace Judas, and await the coming Holy Spirit. They had no idea what the Holy Spirit would be like or how it would guide them but they had to move on – they felt stronger. It was good news for me as well. I heard to stop looking for how I think that things should look and wait for the Holy Spirit. Some of the most incredible creations come out of chaos. We are in a new day together. Lets watch and listen for surprises from God. Remember that Jesus said he would always be with us. Let us look forward together and be energized for new direction.

Finding God

I’ve been looking for God my whole life. As a priest, I guess you could say I’m now in the “God finding” business.

It’s not that I’m worried God is lost or that somehow God got away from us like an untethered balloon; it’s that I try to look for God in every situation, in every season, and I try to make sense of what I think God is up to in the world.

When covidtide started, one of the first things I thought was “Alright God, what are You up to?” I didn’t ask that question because I thought God caused this illness, but because I knew that God would be up to something in the middle of it all.

When I was younger, I saw God as a Zeus-like figure in the clouds, raining down blessings when the world was good and lighting bolts when the world was bad. But now I see a God who walks with creation, a God who desires relationship over control. This God works with whatever He’s given, even a pandemic.

One of the hardest things for me to learn has been that God doesn’t control everything. “God is love” (1 John 4:7), and control isn’t what love looks like. God could stop every bad or difficult thing from happening in the world, but that would make God a puppet master, not a Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. I know the Triune God is up to something in this season, even if it doesn’t feel like it sometimes.

But one thing I’ve learned, if nothing else, is that when I stop looking for God in a particular season, somehow God finds me. When I try too hard to make meaning out of a situation, when I try too hard to interject God into where I’m feeling God’s absence, it can end up feeling hollow and inauthentic. It’s only when I step back and let God show up on God’s own terms that I really see where God is.

This week that’s taken the form of me spending time in my new backyard, where Caitlin and I have been encountering all sorts of wildlife. As a friend recently told me, if you just look at nature right now, you would have no idea that there’s a pandemic. Creation is bursting with new life.

This has become embodied for me in our new backyard friend, an adolescent possum who recently struck out on his own. Seeing him scurry across our yard to catch unsuspecting bugs has been a joy for Caitlin and I (and a source of torment for our dog, Izzy). Seeing this little fellow has been a constant reminder for us that life is still happening, even when it feels like other aspects of our life have come to a standstill.

The thought this all gives me is this: what if humanity needed a time like this one? Maybe we needed time to take a breath and pay attention to the world around us. That’s not why this illness happened (because  there's no rhyme or reason to a pandemic) but it’s something that God is doing, in spite of it all.

My invitation to you this week is this: take some time to see what God is up to in the world. Look outside your window, go to a green place if you’re able. See the life that is all around us, even in the smallest of places. And then remember that we are part of a greater Ecosystem where we can always find God, and where God can always find us.


By The Rev. Will Berry
Associate Rector for Young Adults & Young Families

Quiet Time Isn't So Quiet

I used to adore silence. That quiet time of day at dusk when it felt like a shift change of animals and insects, and the coolness sets in. It's my favorite. But I've never been great at quiet time with God. Even when away at a women's retreat, I would find my perfect spot among the trees, open my Bible and journal, have every thing "perfect" to hear God, only to find my mind rolling through my to-do list back home or wondering if it was going to rain. I would press in harder, straining my ears for silence from the world to hear God's voice more clearly. I knew he had something to say if I would just get quiet.

I still like that time with God, alone and focused, but it's often a treasured moment rather than a daily activity. I'm reading the book "Get Out of Your Head" by Jennie Allen, and I just finished the chapter on holding space for silence. Now, she is referring to silence in our minds, taking our thoughts captive, but in preparing for this meditation, it struck me differently. She says, "...we need time with God alone, in the quiet, where we can hear His healing voice. We have a choice between chaos and quiet, between noise and solitude with God, between denial and healing." I completely agree time with God in silence is life-changing, and Jennie goes on to offer facts and truth about how essential that silence with God is to our lives. It's like a beautiful reset.

But finding that time is hard. I have three children ages 14, 3 & 15 months. My workload has gone from part time to nearly full time during this pandemic, and my husband is an essential employee so he isn't home. Life is hard, and surviving is often what my day feels like. Making it to bedtime when the new shift change happens - Mom out, Dad in! - is sometimes all I can do. Holding space for silence? Not a chance. Or so I thought.

I started noticing small moments where my heartbeat would slow, my breathing would deepen, and the world would seem the pause. They were so rare, I barely noticed at first. But the longer this quarantine continues, I find these moments becoming more frequent, even if my attempt at quiet time is still a struggle.

What surprised me most about these moments was that I was never alone. Each one of these moments was with my kids or my husband. Watching my youngest do her excited dance to a kids Zumba video we had viewed for the 10th time that morning. Laying with my son in his bed as he struggled to fall asleep, remembering his difficult early entrance into the world. Seeing my oldest run through the sprinkler with her little sister. A simple rub on my back and a kiss on my cheek from my husband so as not to interrupt my work.


I still enjoy my fire pit at dusk, or a quiet moment reading my Bible or a good book alone. I crave "me time" right now. But I'm learning to find joy in the chaos; I was surprised by the silence I found there too. Sometimes quiet time isn't so quiet. Sometimes it's loud, really loud, and those small moments of silence are a gift. God is still seeking quiet time with me. For now, he has found a way to hold space for silence with me himself. I'm grateful.


Ashley Goodrich
Communications Director

The Lord is my Shepherd

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 23 is full of words of comfort and peace. We have all read it or heard it at least once in our lives. I remember memorizing Psalm 23 as a child (the King James version, of course!)

Our daily lives right now are tough. They can be a struggle, filled with exhaustion, pain, and hurt. Some days feel like this will never end. We miss our daily routines, our “normal,” and our interactions with others. As human beings, God created us to be connected to other human beings. We crave companionship and fellowship. While we have our zoom meetings, phone calls and text messages, it is not the same. We’ve lost something that is at the core of who we are as people.

The Good Shepherd, our Living Hope, wants to comfort us, revive us, guide us, and lead us through these difficult times. He wants to connect with us and let us know that He is there for us. We do not walk this path alone. In Psalm 23, David writes words of comfort and peace during a time when he was being hunted down and running for his life. He was terrified and anxious. However, even though David acknowledges walking “through the valley of the shadow,” he knew that God was with him. That God was there to give him what he needed.

One of the things I greatly miss right now is the Cathedral Choir. I miss the beautiful music we make together. I miss their daily presence in my life. I cannot wait until the day when we are able to make music together again. Attached below is Psalm 23, sung by the Cathedral Choir. I pray that it brings you peace, comfort, and strength, and brings you closer to Christ as you dwell in the Shepherd.

Psalm 23 - C.Hylton Stewart 

Birds Still Sing

Like everyone else, being at home for the last 35 days has proven a unique challenge.  Schooling my 3 children while also trying to work from home came with a steep learning curve.  I miss my 'normal' life.  I miss going to my office at the Cathedral, I miss seeing the youth group and all of your smiling faces on Sunday mornings.  Most of all, I miss the connections I shared with each of you.  Even if we haven't spoken, the connection of worshipping together is sorely missed.  I keep reminding myself that its not lost, simply on hold, until we meet again in person.

In this time of distance, I'm reminded of how Jesus lived. He often spent time around vast groups of people, teaching and healing and speaking and just 'being'.  But for as much time as he spent with people, he also spent time alone.  He often sought time alone in prayer.  In each Gospel, we see Jesus spending time in prayer; (Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 22).  He gave himself time to pray or to just be with God.

I'm going to be honest with you; It's hard for me to sit still.  I prefer to 'go, go, go', accomplishing anything and everything I can.  This shutdown, as it were, has proven challenging for me. But I am so incredibly grateful for this time.  I am learning to move at a slower pace. I am learning that taking time to do nothing is essential in my relationship with God.

 I have developed a fondness for listening to the birds sing on my back porch.  I can honestly say I can't remember if I've ever done that before.  Was I too busy to hear them before?  Did I tune them out?  I'm sure some of you are laughing at me now but I just heard it as noise before.  And now?  Now I'm grateful because it means some parts of life are still normal.  Even when I'm anxious or lonely or scared or sad or bored or lazy or (insert emotion here), some things remain the same.  The sun still shines, the rain still falls, the birds still sing and I can still pray.

The church doors may be temporarily closed friends, but God? God is still there.  We can still connect with God and with each other.  I hope you take this time of distance and closures to find ways to connect.  Take time to pray.  Take time to journal.  Write a letter to a friend. Make a phone call. Dig in the dirt.  Take up a new hobby. Or take time to listen to the birds.

Until we meet again,

Rachel

A Connective Time

As I'm writing today, I hear lots of singing out of my windows. Not from our choirs (though I miss them and their glorious sounds!), but from other voices in God's creation. (Click here to listen). It's good to have a moment to notice bird song in mid-April. Holy Week is always a compressed time for Cathedral musicians. Life is more complicated in normal seasons. But, of course, the norm has shifted. 

I've asked myself where can I connect and where am I needed most right now. How can I minimize the disruption and continue work at Christ Church? I'm spending time seeking and cataloging our recorded music files that add beauty to online services. I'm planning recorded online Sunday afternoon concerts for Easter season. I am practicing a lot on the mighty Cathedral organ, and while I'm always alone, the instrument still sounds exquisite! There is always good work to do, and though work has changed, I want to help our community stay safe and engaged.

As a dad, husband, brother and friend, my role has expanded considerably. I am grateful to God for having time to be present for those I love and care for. I believe God is presenting a way that provides me space to consider priorities and what I value most in life. 

I know through faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that the time we're living in will pass. I have faith that it won't be too long. In the meantime, I'm going to keep listening for singing, and I'm going to be present for the people I love and care for - my family, my friends and the Cathedral community. Now is the time for me to show God's love and connect in new ways.
 

By Erich Balling, Canon Musician